Reassessing anxiety classifications: A quantitative analysis of fear, phobia and coping strategies

Phobias are a group of mental health disorders that can affect people's daily lives. A phobia is an uncontrollable, unreasonable, and persistent fear of a particular thing, circumstance, or action. An individual can go to any extent to try to avoid their phobia. This survey aimed to understand if people experience fear or phobia and how much it impacts their daily lives, and the methods they use to cope with it. The survey consists of two parts. The first part was to explore the specific objects or situations feared and the impact of phobias on daily functioning. The second part of the survey aimed to find out how much these fears impact the daily lives of people. The majority of participants (57%) reported experiencing moderate levels of anxiety. A smaller portion (17%) reported only mild discomfort, which may suggest a misinterpretation of their fear as a phobia. In contrast, participants who experienced intense panic exhibited strong emotional and physiological responses, aligning more closely with the diagnostic features of a true phobia. 13% of participants responded by saying that they would cope by doing deep breathing exercises, and 9% would want to talk to someone to help cope with their phobia. The majority, though, stated that they would simply distract themselves through any means available. The results of this study indicate that most people associate their fear with being a phobia, when in reality, their report of their experiences suggests otherwise. It may contribute to the research in the areas of phobias and fears.